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Apes vs. Monkeys

In the book The Shadow of Man, the chimpanzees being studied are sometimes referred to as monkeys and sometimes as apes. This led me to wonder if there was in fact a difference between monkeys and apes, or if they were just two different ways of saying the same thing. From researching this topic, I found that monkeys and apes belong to the same Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, and Sub Order, but have a number of profound differences that show up in what Family they belong to.

Apes belong to the Sub Order Anthropoidea, which also includes monkeys and humans. However, they have their own Family, Hominoidea, which includes such apes as Orangutan, Gorilla, Gibbons, Chimpanzee, Bonobo and Human. Some general characteristics that apes share are, larger bodies and brains than monkeys, no tails, prolonged period of infancy, single births, 32 teeth, they posses a mobile shoulder joint allowing them to hang from their arms, and a wider torso and shorter, stiffer lower back region. Another profound difference between apes and monkeys that is easily noticed in their appearance is that apes rely more heavily on vision than smell, and thusly have shorter noses than most monkeys. Because of their larger brains, apes have the ability to use tools, use problem solving skills, distinguish colors, and effectively communicate. Apes are further divided down into two groups greater apes and lesser apes. Greater apes are larger than lesser apes and have opposable thumbs, the ability to walk on two feet, and shorter legs than arms with opposable big toes (with the exception of humans). Lesser apes have much less members and consist solely of Gibbons. Gibbons, although similar in appearance to monkeys, are in fact apes. Gibbons have no tails, and similar skulls and dental patterns as greater apes. All apes are highly endangered (except humans) and inhabit only a very small part of Africa and Asia.

...For other uses, see Ape (disambiguation).
For an explanation of very similar terms, see Hominidae.
Hominoids or Apes
Temporal range: Late Oligocene–Holocene
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Orang Utan, Semenggok Forest Reserve, Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia.JPG
Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorrhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Parvorder: Catarrhini
Superfamily: Hominoidea
Gray, 1825
Type species
Homo sapiens
Linnaeus, 1758
Families
†Proconsulidae
†Afropithecidae
Hylobatidae
Hominidae
Apes (Hominoidea) are a branch of Old World tailless anthropoid catarrhine primates native to Africa and Southeast Asia and distinguished by a wide degree of freedom at the shoulder joint indicating the influence of brachiation. There are two main branches: the gibbons, or lesser apes; and the hominids or great apes.
Lesser apes (Hylobatidae) include four genera and sixteen species of gibbon, including the lar gibbon, and the siamang, all native to Asia. They are highly arboreal and bipedal on the ground. They have lighter bodies and smaller social groups than great apes.
The Hominidae include orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and humans.[1][2] Alternatively, the family are collectively described as the great apes.[3][4][5][6] There are two extant species...

...Monkey sometimes confuses Western readers because it's so different in form and substance from the major western epics or mythical and religious stories, such as those of the Homeric poems or the Bible. They're tragic. Monkey, by contrast, is comic. Western tales have mostly noble human characters, usually princes. By contrast, Monkey has few human characters. Moreover the main human character, the monk Hsuan Tsang (also called Tripitika), is the very opposite of a prince. He’s a saint who has taken a vow renouncing both riches and power. Moreover, to be frank, he’s a fool. Western stories that feature evil monsters take these monsters seriously, even when (as is the case in the Odyssey, medieval tales of dragons, or modern myths like the Lord of the Rings cycle) there’s some doubt that they’re real. But the "scary" monsters in Monkey are clearly meant to be laughed at, even when they brag about having eaten large numbers of human beings.
To make it more approachable for the Western reader, the text of Monkey can be understood as an eastern equivalent of either (a) a European fairytale or (b) a modern animal cartoon from, say, Looney Tunes. (I happen to think Bugs Bunny is quite reminiscent of the title character of Monkey, and Pigsy has more than a little in common with Porky Pig too.)
It may seem strange to think of Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig as the heroes of a classical epic....

...﻿Monkey
Imagine writing about a book about your own world, and you are the leader. That is exactly what the novel Monkey written by Wu Cheng’en is about. Wu Cheng’en was born in 1504 in Lianshiu, Jiangsu during the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty lasted from 1368 to 1644, and it was the growth of “common” literature. Wu Cheng’en was born into a poor family, so he grew up poor. Wu failed the government exam twice, and it was a huge disgrace to his family. Wu retired as a hermit, because he believed humans were too corrupt. He was very gifted at writing poetry and literature, he was known as one of the greatest authors in Chinese literature. His two main characteristics of his writings were fantasy and critique of contemporary society, human corruption. One of his most popular novels, Journey of the West, has four different parts to it. Monkey is one part of his novel Journey to the West. Through out his popular novel, Monkey, the main character Stone Monkey become powerful, gets into trouble, and has to reach Enlightenment in order to save himself.
Wu Cheng’en wrote about his own fantasy world about monkeys. All of these monkeys lived in a society together, and all followed each other. The Stone Monkey ventures up a stream in order to find a particular waterfall. The Stone Monkey gained enough courage to discover the other side of the waterfall....

...Frankenstein VS Planet of the Apes: A Frightful Showdown
Humans as a species like to experiment with the world around them and push the limits of any known law. As a result, the human race is constantly toying with the everlasting puzzle: What is life and how can it be manipulated? Through many realistic fiction stories—such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Rise of the Planet of the Apes—the general public is able to take a look into how far the human mind wants to go. Both stories use technology as a vehicle to enhancing human life and end up with horrible endings. Though these tales share a common theme, they diverge in plot lines by exploring different ways that technology can affect life as usual. By examining these tales one will notice the difference of experiments, consequences, and relationships.
The first major difference is the means of experimentation between the two protagonists. In Frankenstein, Victor uses a mysterious “spark of life” to bring his creation alive in order to fulfill his own ambitions. In Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the protagonist’s motivation for experimenting on life is for the greater good from the get go. By these plots being different, the audience can see how even though scientists can have totally separate ideas and reasoning the end game is usually the same. However, this was not the only difference between the cautionary narratives.
The other key thing that made these...

...﻿
Monkeys, lords, and God-related beings, all play a big part in the Ramayana story. This story provides insights into many aspects of Indian culture and still today influences of the religion and art of modern India. The way people this story affected or influenced, reveals that for some people, Ramayana is really a lot more than simply just a story. The meaning of this story are found though the actions and personalities of the characters. This is story of adventure and friendship as well as a story of psychological insight, spiritual meaning and of wisdom. The author does a good job of representing all of these aspects throughout the novel. Culture, tradition, and the artistic medium all play important roles in understanding Valmiki's Ramayana and the illustration that goes with it.
In order to understand the Ramayana you must understand the cultural context of the story. This story had a big impact on the art and culture in India, it not was only seen as a literary monument but as an essential part in Hinduism. Rama was the hero of the novel and is one of the most worshipped in the Hindu religion. According Enotes, in the Hindu tradition, Rama was an incarnation of the god Vishnu. It says the main purpose of the incarnation was to demonstrate the righteous path for all living creature on earth. People seen him as a great warrior and people also consider him a supreme being. Rama was sent though harsh tests, obstacles, and pains, he was pictured as the...

...Monkey is smart animal Eventually, in 630 CE, Monkey is released by the monk Tripitaka, who has been tasked by the Boddhisatva Guan Yin to undertake a pilgrimage from China to India to fetch holy scriptures. The pair soon recruit two former members of the Heavenly Host who were cast out and turned from angels to "monsters", as a result of Monkey's transgressions: Sandy, the water monster and ex-cannibal, expelled from Heaven after his interference caused Heaven's Jade Emperor's precious jade cup to be broken, and Pigsy, a pig monster consumed with lust and gluttony, who was expelled from Heaven after harassing the Star Princess Vega—the Jade Emperor's mistress—for a kiss. A dragon, Yu Lung, who was set free by Guan Yin after being sentenced to death, eats Tripitaka's horse. On discovering that the horse was tasked with carrying Tripitaka, it assumes the horse's shape to carry the monk on his journey. Later in the story he occasionally assumes human form to assist his new master, although he is still always referred to as 'Horse'. Monkey can also change form, for instance into a hornet. In Episode 3, The Great Journey Begins, Monkey transforms into a girl to trick Pigsy. Monkey's other magic powers include: summoning a cloud upon which he can fly; his use of the magic wishing staff which he can shrink and grow at will and from time to time, when shrunk, store in his ear, and which he uses as a weapon; and the ability...

...Tennessee vs. John Scopes: The monkey trial
It was the year 1925 and in the town of Dayton, Tennessee a trial that would decide whether evolution would be taught in public schools. The trial was titled as Tennessee vs. John Scopes and is commonly known as the "monkey trial". This trial took place from July 10, 1925-July 25, 1925 (Douglas, On-line). The event the created this well renowned trail was the infringing of the Butler Act. This act, passed by the state of Tennessee, prohibited the teaching of the Evolution Theory in all the Universities and public schools of Tennessee on March 13, 1925. This act was known as the Butler act.
It all started when The American Civil Liberties Union advertised in newspapers to locate a teacher in Tennessee who would be willing to test the Butler Act in the courts. Of course, the ACLU would pay all expenses. Dayton resident, George Rappleyea, saw an ACLU advertisement in a Chattanooga newspaper and persuaded his friend John Scopes to accept the offer. The only catch was that Scopes was not a science teacher and had never actually taught evolution. Scopes was a math teacher and football coach who had filled in for the sick biology teacher for two weeks at the end of the school year. With Scopes' permission, Rappleyea immediately notified the ACLU that Professor J.T. Scopes, teacher of science Rhea County High School, will be arrested and charged with teaching evolution (Menton,...